Athletic upper-body garment

Abstract

An upper-body garment, such as an athletic jersey, has a facility whereby its characteristic color may be changed so that a wearer while participating in a team sport may switch teams without having to change jerseys. The garment has an inner shell and an outer shell. The outer shell comprises front and rear panels having one color on the outside and another color on the inside which is the same as the color of the inner shell. The panels may be attached together over the shoulders when the one color is to be exposed, and the panels may be detached so as to hang down from a midriff section of the garment when the other color is to be exposed.

What is claimed as new is as follows: 
     
       1. An athletic upper-body garment comprising inner and outer shells for embracing a shoulder, back, and chest area of a wearer, the shells being integrated around a midriff section of the garment, the outer shell comprising a front panel and a rear panel, the panels being movable between a raised position wherein the panels substantially cover the inner shell and a lowered position wherein the panels hang down from the midriff section, the garment presenting a first characteristic outer surface appearance when the panels are in raised position and a second characteristic outer surface appearance when the panels are in lowered position, and the garment further including means for releasably retaining the panels in the raised position. 
     
     
       2. A garment as defined in claim 1 wherein the panels are separated at respective shoulder portions thereof, and the retaining means comprises means for releasably attaching the shoulder portions of the panels together over the shoulders of a wearer. 
     
     
       3. A garment as defined in claim 1 wherein said first and second characteristic appearances differ by color. 
     
     
       4. A garment as defined in claim 3 wherein each panel when in the raised position comprises inner and outer surfaces, the outer surfaces having a first characteristic color and the inner surfaces as well as the inner shell having a second characteristic color. 
     
     
       5. A garment as defined in claim 4 which includes a lower portion depending from the midriff section and integrated with said shells, said panels when in the lowered position at least partly covering said lower portion, and said lower section being of the first color. 
     
     
       6. A garment as defined in claim 5 wherein each panel, when in the raised position, comprises inner and outer layers, each outer layer as well as said lower portion being formed of cloth of the first color, and each inner layer as well as the inner shell being formed of cloth of the second color. 
     
     
       7. A garment as defined in claim 6 wherein said outer layers comprise extensions of pieces of cloth forming said lower portion. 
     
     
       8. A garment as defined in claim 7 wherein said pieces of cloth are seamed around the midriff section of the garment to the inner layers of the respective panels. 
     
     
       9. A garment as defined in claim 2 wherein said means for releasably attaching the panels together comprises friction-type attachment tabs secured to the shoulder portions of the respective panels. 
     
     
       10. A garment as defined in claim 1 wherein the panels are integrated together from the midriff section up to positions defining armhole openings of the outer shell.